A Grey's Anatomy Fairytale : Sleeping Lexie
by Serendipity Cullen
Summary: AU. In a moment of jealousy, Ellis Grey curses the baby Lexie Grey-her life will end on the night of her twenty-fifth birthday. Susan Grey alters the spell, but Lexie must meet her true love before falling into a deep, deep sleep. Only true love's kiss will awaken the sleeping beauty.
1. Part I

**A/N - As most of you know, I have about 4 stories in-progress at this time. However, my personal life has been such a mess lately that I have not wanted to work on any of them this week. I was going through NetFlix, saw _Ella Enchanted_ and was inspired to write several two-part fairtytale based fics featuring Grey's couples. Here is the first fic, and it features Slexie. The other two I have planned will feature Jolex & Japril!**

A Grey's Anatomy Fairytale : Sleeping Lexie

**PART I**

"Do you think you're overdoing it a bit, dear?" Thatcher Grey asked carefully as he stepped into the living room, his eyes darting around the room.

"She only has her first birthday once," Susan Grey reasoned as she hung another pink streamer.

"Will she even remember all of this?" her husband smirked as he walked over to the swing and looked down to his dark-haired daughter.

"We'll show her pictures," Susan replied as she stepped down from the chair and looked around at the balloons. "She'll know that we've always loved her."

"The designer cake should tell her that," Thatcher muttered and dropped onto the sofa beside the swing. He couldn't believe that Susan was going through such a fuss for a baby's birthday party. Yes, he realized that Lexie was Susan's first child, but...Lexie would never remember this. Not a single detail; it was physically impossible. The child probably wouldn't remember anything until she was at least six or seven; make a big fuss then.

Susan opened her mouth to chastise her unenthusiastic husband, but stopped when the doorbell rang. "Maybe that's the clown!"

"A clown?" Thatcher gaped as the woman scurried to the door. "Is she serious?" he asked his daughter, who laughed in response.

"Ellis," Susan gasped, her face blanching after she threw open the door. "Wh-What a l-lovely surprise," she covered as the surgeon's gaze hardened. "Would you like to come in?" The kind woman hated inviting Ellis inside, but...she didn't want to anger the doctor. Ellis had a hair-trigger temper, and Susan did _not_ want to be at the opposite end of the woman's wrath.

Ellis Grey stepped into the house, her nose scrunching as she observed the pink streamers and balloons. "Festive."

"Ellis?" Thatcher questioned as he rose from the couch. "What are you doing here?"

"Thatcher!" his wife tisked as she closed the front door. "Don't be so rude."

"He's always rude, Susan," Ellis quipped. "That's one of the reasons I divorced him."

"Not the _only_ reason, I assure you."

Ellis forced a fake smile onto her lips as her eyes moved to the child in the swing. "Today is your daughter's birthday, isn't it?" she asked, looking between the parents.

"Yes," Susan answered quietly as her hand wrapped around her husband's. There was something about Ellis Grey that she simply didn't like. It was as if a black cloud surrounded the woman; Ellis struck fear in the second wife's very core.

"You're having a party?" the ex-wife asked as her gaze darted between the streamers and balloons.

"Clearly," Thatcher replied dryly. "Is there something you wanted, Ellis?"

"Something I wanted," Ellis mused as her hand moved through her thinning hair. "Yes, there is something I want..."

"Get to the point," the man said through clenched teeth.

"Thatcher," Susan whispered desperately, squeezing his hand. "Careful..."

Ellis looked to the dark-haired baby in the swing. "Why wasn't I invited to the party?" she asked sweetly, looking back to the parents. "Lexie and I are almost family, after all."

Thatcher inhaled deeply in an attempt to calm himself, but instead, the smell of alcohol assaulted his nostrils. Ellis had obviously had a few drinks before deciding to confront them. Hesitating for a moment, the man chose his words very, very carefully. "I thought you would be working, Ellis."

"I didn't even get an invitation!" Ellis snapped, her voice rising.

Thatcher opened his mouth to speak again, but Susan interjected quickly. "We didn't send out invitations," she spoke hurriedly. "It's not even a big party...just a few family members, that's all."

Ellis considered the mother's words as she walked about the living room. "Oh really now?" she asked skeptically. "I could swear that I saw an invitation on the Chief's desk this morning!"

Susan's heartbeat picked up speed. "The Chief forgets everything," the nervous woman replied flippantly.

"Do not lie to me again, Susan," Ellis cut her off. "Lying does not become you." She spun on her heel and faced the couple. "Why wasn't I invited?!"

"You're welcome to stay," Susan spoke quickly. "Please, stay."

"No," Thatcher said firmly, shaking his head. "Leave, Ellis."

"Thatcher," his wife whispered, a pleading tone escaping her lips. "She can stay if she wants to..."

"No, she can not," Thatcher glared at his former wife. "You shouldn't have come here to begin with. Lexie is not your concern!"

Ellis turned her head to the side slowly as she studied the man she was once married to. "Really, Thatcher?" she spat, looking him up and down. "_Now_ you're going to become a man?! You're finally going to stand up to me?" She crossed her arms and waited for an answer; when the man didn't reply, she threw her hands up and began ripping him a new one.

Thatcher stood quietly and took the verbal abuse; half of the things Ellis was saying was true. The other things...well, he could let her rant all she wanted. Once she was finished, the surgeon would storm from the house and leave them in peace. "Lexie," he sighed when the child began to cry. "Ssshhh," he soothed after rushing to her side and lifting her from the swing.

Ellis stopped in mid-sentence and watched as the man who rarely fathered Meredith practically ran to his new baby. "Interesting..."

"What is it, Ellis?" Susan asked quietly, hoping to calm the angry older woman. A soft tone always turned away wrath.

"Him," the surgeon motioned to Thatcher in disgust. "He must love this little girl..."

"I do," Thatcher interrupted defensively.

"You never did that for Meredith," Ellis snapped. "At least _one_ little girl is worth your attention!"

Thatcher hung his head in shame. "I don't want to make any more mistakes." It was a lame answer, and he knew it, but it was the truth. He had never been the father to Meredith that he needed to be, but Lexie was a chance for him to start over. Lexie was his chance to make things right.

Ellis considered his words as she looked around the living room once again. "She _is_ beautiful," she admitted before plucking the crying baby from Thatcher's arms in one swift motion. "You always were slow," she smirked as the man shifted towards her. "Ah, ah, ah."

"Please, Ellis," he pleaded softly and turned frantic eyes to Susan.

"You act as if I'm going to hurt her," the surgeon cackled and held the baby against her chest. "Quiet!" she frowned as Lexie contiued to cry.

Thatcher's brows knit together as his baby stopped crying immediately. What...what had just happened? Lexie wasn't an animal; she didn't do things on command. "It's time for her nap," he spoke, hoping Ellis would return his child to him.

"You are a beautiful thing," the surgeon ignored him as she ran her finger down Lexie's porcelain cheek. "And you already have your father wrapped around your little finger." Her dark eyes shifted to Thatcher as she spoke. "I guess you have something Meredith never had. There's something about you that seems to bring men to their knees..."

"She's not going to hurt her, is she?!" Susan hissed to Thatcher.

"Ellis!" Thatcher glared at her. "Put my child down and go! Now!"

The woman turned sharply to face her pathetic ex-husband. "Fool!" Ellis laughed as Thatcher moved towards her. "Stop!" she ordered and threw up her fingers.

Thatcher froze in place, but...his mind was telling his legs to move! Why weren't they moving?! "What..what did you do?!" he asked as his hands pulled on his legs.

"It's a spell!" Susan exclaimed, her tone heightened, as she tugged at her legs as well.

"A-A spell?!" Thatcher asked incredulously, looking between his wife and his ex-wife who was currently holding his daughter. "You're a witch?!"

"I prefer the term enchantress," the woman smirked. "Witch makes me seem like an ugly hag."

Thatcher bit his tongue, preventing a scathing retort from flying from his lips. "Put Lexie down," he pleaded. "She's innocent!"

"Quiet!" Ellis snapped. "Ah, much better," she sighed and looked to the child. "I suppose you _are_ innocent," the enchantress considered as she looked into the eyes of the baby. "But it seems that you are Thatcher's only weakness. That _is_ quite unfortunate." Ellis looked to the parents as they tried desperately to free themselves from their invisible prison. "What's that, Thatcher?" she asked as the man opened his mouth but no sound came out. "Cat got your tongue?" The surgeon cackled again and looked to the baby once more. "I do have a gift for you, child..."

Susan tried desperately to use her powers to free herself and her husband, but...the other woman's powers were much, much stronger. The power of darkness was always a force to be reckoned with.

"The world will be enchanted with your beauty, dear Lexie," Ellis spoke as she returned the baby to the swing, "but only for twenty-five years. On the night of your twenty-fifth birthday, you will prick your finger on a syringe...and **die**."

"No!" Thatcher screamed as the witch disappeared and he was free from her spell. "Ellis? Ellis?! Don't do this to her! She's innocent!" The man dropped to his knees and covered his face as tears rolled down his cheeks.

Susan ran to Lexie, lifting her from the swing and cradling her baby in her arms. "Death will not claim you, sweet angel," she spoke as she swirled her hand above Lexie's head. The mother hesitated, feeling the resistance of the doctor's spell. "A deep slumber will take you until your true love's kiss awakens you. Love conquors all, dear Lexie. Not darkness." Susan sighed with relief as she felt the air around her daughter shift. Her spell had altered the spell that Ellis cast.

"S-Susan?" Thatcher questioned as he watched his wife kiss Lexie's forehead. "You-You're a...you're a..."

"Yes," his wife smiled softly. "I won't hurt you," she promised as he shifted away from her.

Thatcher slowly moved to his feet as he gaped at his wife and daughter. "Why-Why didn't you break her spell?" he asked, his voice cracking.

"Ellis has the power of darkness on her side, and I do not," Susan explained gently. "She has spent many years perfecting her craft, and I have not. I don't like what I am," she admitted quietly and dropped her head.

Thatcher walked over to his wife and put his arm around her shoulders. "I'm thankful for what you are," he whispered and kissed her temple. "You saved our little girl today."

* * *

Lexie Grey adjusted the bag on her shoulder and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as her eyes moved up the floors of Seattle Grace hospital. This was it; the years of medical school were finally paying off. She was finally an intern!

"Are you going to stand there all day?" Sadie Harris, Lexie's best friend, teased and poked her friend in the side.

"No!" Lexie exclaimed and swatted at the blonde-haired woman. "I just...I need a minute..."

Sadie looked towards the hospital. "This is it, huh?" she asked and looked back to her friend.

"We're finally doctors," Lexie breathed.

"Seems like it took forever to happen though, right?" Sadie chuckled and nudged the younger girl on the shoulder.

"God, it does," Lexie sighed heavily as the two women started walking towards the hospital.

"Especially with the way your parents acted," the blonde laughed.

"Tell me about it," the dark-haired woman rolled her eyes. "I swear, it was like they didn't even want me to _become_ a doctor!" Lexie felt guilty talking about her parents, but...they'd made her years in medical school a living hell. Every time Lexie settled in to study, one of them was calling. They were constantly asking how she was doing in class, and keeping her completely unfocused! If it weren't for her photographic memory, Lexie Grey might not have passed the first semester! If she didn't truly know Thatcher and Susan, she'd swear they had purposely tried to sabotage her career before it even started!

The two women made their way to the intern locker room, chatting nervously as they surveyed the environment around them. This was a real hospital with real patients and real injuries. They would be working with real, board certified surgeons to save lives. And they'd lose lives. They'd administer meds, call for codes, and attempt to console grieving family members. This was it; no more games.

"Who are you with?" Lexie asked as she pulled on her labcoat and secured her badge.

"Ummmm, hold on," Sadie replied and tugged on her scrub pants and wiggled into her top. "Yang."

"Me too," the young woman sighed with relief. At least she could endure her first day with her friend at her side. The women left the locker room, following a few other interns as they met up with their residents at the nurse's station. "Dr. Yang?" Lexie read the nametag aloud. "I'm Lexie, uh, Dr. Grey. Thank you for t-teaching us."

"I don't care," Dr. Yang replied dryly and scanned her group of interns. "This is the best they could give me, huh?" She motioned to the nurse's station where five pagers were sitting. "These are your pagers. Whenever you are paged, you answer the page, got it? If you do not answer your page, I will be paged." The surgeon paused for effectiveness. "And there better be a damn good reason I'm paged instead of you."

The interns exchanged fearful glances as they hurriedly gathered their pagers and formed a line in front of Dr. Yang.

"Try not to kill anyone today, and don't make me look bad," Dr. Yang continued as she inspected each one of them as one would inspect an insect under a microscope. "If you have a stupid question, keep it to yourself. Stupid questions make me look bad." She cleared her throat and looked to her clipboard. "Wheeler, you're with me today. Harris and Carter, you're in the pit; Downs, you're with Dr. Shepherd in surgery, and Grey, you're with Dr. Sloan in surgery."

"D-Dr. S-Sloan?" Lexie questioned as she raised her palm timidly.

Dr. Yang's eyes darted to her, nearly making her shrivel. "It is your responsibility, no, your _duty_, to learn the names of the surgeons and their areas of specialty. It is ignorant to not know the minds you're working with." Her eyes met Lexie's. "Does that answer your question, Three?"

"Y-Yes, Dr. Yang," the intern blushed and ducked her head.

"Good luck," Sadie mumbled to Thomas Wheeler before the interns scattered.

Luckily, Lexie remembered the hospital map she'd studied the night before and found the OR board rather quickly. Her steps slowed as she neared the board; she'd never seen so many gorgeous men in her _life_! These weren't boys, medical students, nothing like that. These were men. The intern ducked her head and took a deep breath. _Get it together, Grey!_ she mentally pep-talked herself. _These are surgeons! They're you're teachers!_

Mark Sloan looked away from the OR board as a timid young woman approached them and spoke his name in a weak voice. After his eyes flicked over her pale blue scrubs, he realized that this was the intern Dr. Yang was giving him for the day. "I'm Dr. Sloan," he introduced himself and stuck out his hand.

"I'm Lexie, uh, Dr. Grey," Lexie stumbled as she gripped his hand. Would she _ever_ get comfortable with introducing herself as a doctor?! "I'm your intern for the day."

"Clearly," Mark smirked and studied the young woman. He'd forgotten what it was like on the first day of internship. "Dr. Grey, you've been to orientation, right?"

"Yes sir," Lexie replied quickly.

"Good," Mark nodded and looked back to the OR board. "I won't start surgery for another hour, so go to the lab and get the results on all my patients."

"Yes sir," the intern nodded and headed back towards the elevator. After the doors slid closed, Lexie leaned against the back wall and took a slow, deep breath. Mark Sloan was _gorgeous_! How was she expected to save lives with someone like Mark Sloan around? He was perfect! And gorgeous! Those eyes! Those cheekbones! That chest! Lexie fanned herself as the elevator stopped and the doors slid opened. Pushing the hunky attending to the back of her mind, the intern focused on the task at hand. "Dr. Sloan's lab results, please," she spoke to the lab technician, forcing her tone to sound professional rather than weak.

"Which patient?" the technician asked and began clicking on a computer.

"All of them."

The technician gave her a look before gathering the results. "First day?"

"Is it that obvious?" Lexie blushed.

"Yes," the technician smirked and retrieved a sheet of paper, sliding it to her. "These are the normal ranges for every level drawn. You'll impress Dr. Sloan if you can tell him what's abnormal."

"Thank you," the intern replied gratefully and snatched up the paper, skimming it quickly.

"Good luck!" the technician laughed as the intern ran back to the elevator.

Thanks to the kind lab tech, Lexie was able to blow Dr. Sloan's mind. He complimented that she was well studied and confident with her knowledge; he hated interns who answered questions fearfully. Mark's motto was that you either knew the information or you didn't; luckily for her, Lexie knew the information.

As the day came to an end, Lexie was on a surgical high. Being in the OR was _such_ a rush! And Dr. Sloan was amazing-he was so confident. He didn't doubt himself or his abilities. He could handle a surprise bleeder within seconds too! Lexie definitely felt herself developing a crush on the man already.

"Good work today, Dr. Grey," Mark spoke as they approached the nurse's station.

"Is that it?" the intern asked, disappointment evident on her face.

"For now," Mark chuckled, impressed by her enthusiasm. "You can go to the pit if you'd like. See if my services are needed there." He retrieved a small notepad from his pocket and scribbled something onto a sheet of paper, then ripped it from the pad. "Page me if I'm needed."

"Yes, Dr. Sloan," Lexie nodded before moving to the elevator and pushing the button. She wasn't near as happy this time; her exciting day had somehow lost its steam, and it bummed her out. The intern tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for the elevator. Dr. Sloan's soothing voice caught her ear as he was giving report to the charge nurse. Lexie bit her lip as he gave the nurse an incorrect lab value. Should she tell him that he was wrong? No, she couldn't do that! He'd be mad! The intern couldn't have an attending hate her already! Dr. Sloan would make her life hell! But...what if there was medicine ordered based on that lab value? A patient could be improperly medicated! Oh my God, what if they died?! "S-Sir?" Lexie asked timidly and approached the nurse's station.

Mark frowned as he was interrupted in the middle of report. "What is it, Grey?" he snapped a bit harshly.

The dark-haired woman visibly retreated before chewing her lip. "The, uh, potassium level on Mrs. Boaden? It was four point five, not five point four."

Mark's eyes narrowed as he looked to the trembling intern. "I believe you're mistaken, Dr. Grey."

"N-N-No, I'm not, s-sir," Lexie fumbled, feeling herself weaken in the stare of his blue eyes. "The level is four point five."

Mark's jaw clenched as his gaze moved to the charge nurse. "Pull her chart," he barked, his irritation evident. The surgeon flipped open the chart angrily, flipping to the labs and reviewing the values. His eyebrows raised as he read Mrs. Boaden's potassium level. Four point five. "Good work, Dr. Grey."

Lexie felt light-headed as his words echoed in her ears. She was _right_! "Huh?" she jarred as the plastic surgeon looked to her expectantly.

"Come with me," Mark repeated and took her elbow, leading her towards the on-call room. "Go on," he motioned inside after opening the door.

Lexie felt the panic surge through her body as Dr. Sloan turned on the light and closed the door. "Dr. Sloan, I'm sorry!" she exploded. "I didn't mean to correct you in front of a nurse! I'm so sorry! It's just...I heard what you said...and I knew it wasn't right...and just...oh God, please don't cut me from the program!"

Mark chuckled as the intern turned wide, fearful eyes to him. "I'm not going to cut you, Dr. Grey," he assured her. "Take a breath, and calm yourself." The surgeon gave the intern a few moments to compose herself. "How did you know?"

"S-Sir?" the intern questioned.

"How did you know I gave Stephanie the wrong values?" Mark asked curiously as he studied the young woman. "Did you write down their lab values or something?"

Lexie looked down, toying with her hands nervous. "No, sir, I, uh, h-have a photographic memory..."

"Oh _really_?" the surgeon smirked. "So you just...read something, and you remember it?"

"Yeah," the intern shrugged, still looking down. "It's like...my mind takes a picture of it."

"Prove it." Mark ran his hand into his pocket and pulled out his notepad. "This was my surgery schedule this morning," he spoke as he showed her the pad. "Recite it." The arrogant surgeon's mouth dropped as the intern took one look at the sheet of paper, then began reciting patient names, surgery types, and OR rooms. "That's amazing!"

"Thank you," Lexie blushed, biting her lip and looking to him. "Please don't tell anyone! It's my first day, and I...well, I don't want to be the freak, you know?"

"Oh, I'm not telling anyone," Mark grinned wickedly. Dr. Grey could be his own secret weapon. "Go check out the pit."

Lexie sighed as the attractive doctor opened the door and released her. "Yes, sir, Dr. Sloan." She hurried from the confined on-call room, gulping in deep breaths of oxygen. Being that close to Mark Sloan was _not_ a good thing! The man could easily make her forget her own name.

An hour later, Mark entered the cafeteria in search of his intern; he hadn't heard a word from her since she left the on-call room. Obviously there wasn't much activity in the pit that required his attention, but...where had she run off to? After scanning the room, the plastic surgeon noticed Lexie sitting by herself at a table near the window. She didn't have any food in front of her, but she was reading a book. Probably studying. Mark moved through the line and grabbed a couple of sandwiches, chips, and two bottles of water. "Have you eaten, Dr. Grey?" he asked after approaching her table.

"S-Sir?" the intern stuttered, jumping and closing the book quickly. "Uh, no, sir. I was just taking a break. I sorta got caught up in the pit."

"Yeah, the pit's like that," Mark nodded as he sat across from her and slid a sandwich towards her. "Anything for me?"

"No," Lexie shook her head and unwrapped the sandwich. "Just a few things for Dr. Shepherd and Dr. Yang. Thank you," she nodded towards the sandwich before taking a bite.

Mark nodded and unwrapped his sandwich as well. "Do you have an interest in plastics, Dr. Grey?"

Lexie quirked her head, choosing her words carefully in her head before speaking. Why would she have an interest in plastics? Wasn't it all tummy tucks, boob jobs, and botox? There wasn't anything exciting about giving a woman a J-Lo booty. "I haven't really thought about a speciality, Dr. Sloan," she finally replied when he continued to stare at her. "It's only my first day..." She let the sentence hang and returned to her sandwich.

"You think it's all lifts and tucks, don't you?" the doctor smirked as he tossed her a bag of potato chips.

"Something like that," the intern confessed before opening the chips.

"Have you considered burn victims?" Mark prompted before sliding her a bottle of water. "Skin grafting it truly an art form."

"Hmmm, I hadn't thought of that," Lexie admitted and bit her lip. "That must be an amazing feeling...healing someone. They think their life is over because their image is shattered, and then...you come along..." She felt herself blush as she realized she was nearly worshipping the man. "Sorry..."

Mark grinned widely. "Never apologize for stroking my ego," he teased before popping a chip into his mouth. "That could be you one day, Grey. A burn victim could come in, and you could be the surgeon on duty that day. _You_ could be the one to heal them."

Lexie smiled at the thought. "That would be awesome," she admitted before outright grinning. It was an amazing idea... Sure, the other surgeons fixed the internal organs, but being a plastic surgeon...the whole world would _see_ what she had accomplished.

"If you were to get in on the ground floor, you'd have a head start," the attending pointed out before uncapping his bottle of water. "The other interns will be flitting all over the hospital, but you'd already had your speciality chosen, and I could be teaching you. You'd be ahead of the rest."

The intern considered his advice as she looked to her sandwich. It would be nice to have her speciality chosen. And the surgeon made a point-she would be being trained by the best, and she'd be comfortable in a field by the time the rest of the interns decided what they wanted to do. Nothing would hold her back if she got a good foundation established.

Mark studied the dark-haired woman, watching the emotions run through her eyes. It was clear that she was thoroughly considering everything he'd just said. "I could clear it with the Chief," he encouraged, shifting towards her. "You wouldn't even have to report to a resident; you'd just come to me." The last few words sounded dirty, but for once, he meant them innocently. Lexie Grey was simply a professional asset; he'd learned years ago to never mess with interns. It was great that they adored you, but interns were clingy and jealous; they thought they owned you after sleeping with you. Mark Sloan belonged to no woman.

"Two weeks," Lexie finally offered.

"Two weeks?" the surgeon questioned.

"Like a trial run," the intern added on before taking another bite of her sandwich. "I don't want to commit to anything yet, but...I'll give you two weeks to change my mind."

Mark sat back in the chair and chuckled appreciatively. The woman had spunk. "So you're telling me that I have to woo you?"

"Exactly," Lexie grinned before eating a chip.

"Challenge accepted."

* * *

Time slowly passed as Lexie remained at Mark's side while inside the walls of the hospital. The plastic surgeon had a certain charm to him, and before she knew it, the intern agreed to be on his services permanently. They were a match made in heaven-Lexie's photographic memory assisted Mark in surgery, and his teaching was quickly molding her into the best in her class. The other interns were insanely jealous of her, and Cristina Yang was kicking herself for not investing in the quiet intern. Careers aside...the two seemed to be a match made in heaven romantically as well. Their relationship was progressing at the perfect pace-they were bonding without moving too fast. They didn't end up in bed like other attending/intern relationships, yet they were truly learning about one another. Each morning, Mark met Lexie at the OR board with a cup of coffee in hand-one sugar and two hazelnut creamers, just the way she liked it. Lexie checked behind the scrub nurses to make sure each piece of equipment was arranged the way Mark liked it. The intern also had all vitals, labs, and any other pertinent information ready for the surgeon when they scrubbed in together.

Lexie's crush on Mark intensified with each passing day. She was comfortable with him now, so the intern would occasionally poke him, slap his arm, or rub his shoulders after a long surgery. Crossing the physical line with the insanely hot surgeon only made her fall for him even more. Everything about Mark Sloan oozed sex-his eyes, his voice, and the way he moved those very capable hands of his. Lexie didn't speak of her crush to anyone, not even Sadie. The last thing she needed was rumors circulating that Mark was only teaching her because she was sleeping with him.

The feelings developing weren't only on Lexie's side though. Mark was beginning to look at the young woman differently. Lexie's personality was infectious, and she didn't even know it. On one hand she could be extremely anal, but on the other hand she was laid back and playful. When it came to her career, everything had to be perfect, but once she relaxed and was on her downtime, the intern could laugh and joke like one of the guys. And those _eyes_...it was like she was looking into his soul. The big-eyed intern scared the hell out of the plastic surgeon though-she was one of the few women that could get under his skin. Lexie had somehow wiggled her way into his heart, and he thought of her often. Mark could see Lexie as more than his intern...more than a fling...and more than a friend with benefits. Mark could see Lexie as _the_ woman in his life, and boy, that scared him!

"So, what's up with you and Dr. Sloan?" Sadie asked randomly one evening as she and Lexie were leaving the hospital.

"Wh-What?" Lexie asked, clearly caught off guard.

"Do you and Dr. Sloan have a..._thing_?" the blonde teased and tickled her friend's side.

"Of course not!" Lexie laughed and swatted her friend away. "He's teaching me about plastics, that's all."

"Are you serious?"

"Yep."

"Hmmmm," Sadie mused as they reached her car and she tossed her bag into the backseat. "I think you're lying to me, you little hussy. You two act like you're married."

"We do not!" the dark-haired intern laughed.

"You do!" her friend exclaimed. "Every morning he brings you coffee, you get each other's condiments at lunch, and you rattle off facts to him like a computer. There is something going on with you."

"Ugh," Lexie rolled her eyes dramatically. "We've just been working together a while, that's all."

Sadie narrowed her eyes, studying her friend closely. "Plus he looks at you."

Lexie felt a blush rise in her cheeks at her friend's words. "He looks at me?"

"Yep," Sadie nodded. "He does it when you're not looking though...and he always looks away when you look at him."

"What, do you stalk us or something?" Lexie laughed nervously and ran her hand through her hair.

"I gotta make sure you're being treated right." Sadie hesitated a moment before speaking again. "Just be careful, okay? I've heard he's a real womanizer."

"That's just a rumor," the dark-haired girl dismissed.

"Not many nurses will work with him," Sadie countered. "He loved 'em and left 'em, you know?"

"That's not good," Lexie bit her lip.

Sadie ducked her head, feeling like a jerk. "Hey, but you know how rumors go," she rolled her eyes dismissively. "Let's grab a drink at Joe's, okay?"

"Sure," the intern shrugged and tossed her bag in the trunk of her car.

Sadie's words tumbled around her head as Lexie walked through the crisp night air towards the bar. Had she and Mark grown so close that they were behaving as a married couple? Was it possible that the older surgeon had feelings for her? Should she make a move? "Yeah right," the young woman laughed to herself. What kind of moves could she make on an older man? Mark was much experienced in women, and probably knew every move under the sun. She'd come off looking like an idiot.

Lexie looked both ways and jogged across the highway during a brief break in traffic. Sadie's warning also had her a bit on edge-was Mark a womanizer? He must be bad if the nurses refused to work with him...that was quite intense to refuse to work with an attending. Was it possible that the nurses simply held a grudge because he broke up with them? Or was he truly _that_ bad? The intern's fears were confirmed as soon as she stepped into the bar.

Lexie stood frozen in the doorway of Joe's as her eyes landed on Mark and...another woman. Mark was sitting at the bar looking amazing and shamelessly flirting with some woman. The woman was laughing and tossing her hair over her shoulder as Mark leaned in and said something only meant for her ears. "What?!" the intern frowned as someone tapped her shoulder.

"You okay?" Sadie asked gently after taking in the scene before her.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Lexie shrugged.

"Of course you are," Sadie nodded as her gaze moved to Mark. "That's, uh, Amelia Shepherd, Derek's little sister..."

"I don't care," Lexie rolled her eyes and moved towards a table near the pooltable. "Mark can flirt with whoever he wants."

Sadie pursed her lips before speaking again. "So, margarita?"

"Vodka tonic."

"Coming right up."

Lexie looked to the table and began picking at the wood as her friend moved towards the bar to order their drinks. Her gaze kept drifting towards Mark, and she had to force herself to look away from him. God, she was so stupid! A man like Mark wouldn't want someone like her! She was plain, quiet, and boring! She wasn't a model like Izzie or a sexpot like Reed...she was just a plain jane. No one noticed her. Ever.

"Vodka tonic, at your service," Sadie announced and plunked the glass in front of her friend. "Are you sure you're okay? Do you want me to go kick his ass?"

Lexie forced a laugh and shook her head. "No, I'm fine, really." She opened her mouth to come up with an excuse to leave, but she made herself stop. No. She had no reason to run away. Mark wasn't her boyfriend; they hadn't even been on a single date. He could flirt with whoever he wanted. He didn't belong to her. "Let's make a toast," the intern forced a lift into her tone and raised her glass. "To internship."

"Internship," Sadie chimed in, clinking her glass against Lexie's.

The hurting woman took a long drink from her glass, closing her eyes and feeling the alcohol move through her body. She was already beginning to feel better. Lexie forced herself to have a good time with her friend that night, but she also made a vow to herself-she was going to keep Mark Sloan at arm's length. He had the potential to hurt her, and she couldn't let that happen.

Hours turned into day, days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. With each passing day, Lexie built a wall between herself and Mark. She wasn't rude to him or anything like that, but she was making sure that they behaved strictly professionally. The intern insisted that she pay the attending back for each cup of coffee he brought her, and she began eating lunch with her fellow interns. Lexie even managed to befriend the residents! Mark was hurt, but he hid his feelings well.

"Happy Birthday!" April Kepner exclaimed the morning of Lexie's twenty-fifth birthday as the intern entered the locker room.

"Ssshhhh!" Lexie exclaimed, waving her hand at the red-haired resident. "I don't want anyone to know!"

"Too late," Jackson Avery laughed and handed her a balloon.

"Thank you, Jackson," Lexie smiled and moved to her locker.

"Why don't you want anyone knowing it's your birthday?" April frowned, leaning against the locker beside the intern's. "Birthdays are awesome!"

"I just don't want anyone to make a big deal about it," Lexie shrugged and retrieved her blue scrubs.

"Does that mean you don't want any presents?" April teased and dangled a giftbag in front of Lexie's face.

Lexie bit her lip and stared at the bag for a second before plucking it from April's grasp, causing the resident to giggle. "A new stethoscope!" the intern exclaimed before throwing her arms around her new friend. "Thank you so much, April!"

"There's more where that came from," April called in a sing-songy voice before turning and leaving the locker room.

"What is she talking about?" Lexie asked, grasping Jackson's arm desperately.

"You'll have to wait and see," the attractive resident teased before prying himself loose and leaving the locker room.

After changing into her scrubs and hanging her new stethoscope around her neck, Lexie left the locker room and headed towards the OR board. The intern had to thank a dozen people for wishing her happy birthday it seemed. "Good morning, Dr. Sloan," she greeted professionally as she arrived at the OR board.

"Good morning, Dr. Grey," Mark greeted, turning towards her. "Happy Birthday."

Lexie smiled softly as the attending presented her a blueberry muffin with a pink candle stuffed in the middle. "Thank you."

"Don't even think about paying me back, either," Mark smirked before looking back to the board. "It's going to be a busy day today."

"Tell me about it," Lexie gaped as she turned towards the board and stuffed the candle into her pocket.

"Lexie!" Meredith called as she jogged towards the OR board. "I've got to scrub in, but party at my house tonight!"

"For me?" Lexie squeaked, blanching.

"Of course, silly!" the resident laughed. "Happy Birthday!" Meredith hugged her half sister quickly before jogging towards OR one.

"You okay?" Mark asked, studying the intern as she shook her head.

"Everyone knows about my birthday!" Lexie exclaimed, throwing her hand up.

"You can thank Kepner for that," the surgeon chuckled. "She's been telling everyone."

"Lovely," the intern sighed before taking a bite of her muffin.

Mark kept his gaze on the board and took a deep breath as the young woman finished her muffin. His hands dipped into the pockets of his scrubs, his fingers wrapping around the box. Suddenly, he felt nervous. What was he going to say? Here? I like you? God, she would think he was crazy! The surgeon pulled the box from his pocket as he turned towards the intern. "Happy Birthday, Lex." He knew it was redundant, but all smooth lines flew from his mind the moment he looked into her eyes.

Lexie jarred as her mentor placed a white box into her hands and moved towards OR two. The intern glanced after him before gently opening the lid. "Oh," she gasped, carefully lifting the necklace from the box. Tears sprang to her eyes as she read her name-_Lexie_. Mark had given her a gold name necklace. Lexie's fingers shook slightly as she secured the chain around her neck, her hand dropping and smoothing over the gold letters. This was the best gift she'd ever received!

The intern scrubbed in and entered the OR across from her mentor. She had every intention to thank him right then and there, but the scrub nurses were wishing her happy birthday left and right. It was flattering, and she appreciated it, but she really wanted to tell the surgeon what his gift meant to her. Unfortunately, it seemed that her gratitude would have to wait.

The day flew by in a whirlwind of surgeries and happy birthday wishes. It wasn't until the end of the day when she was scrubbing up for their final surgery that Lexie was finally able to speak to him. "Dr. Sloan," she called as Mark moved towards the door.

"Yes, Dr. Grey?" Mark asked, his voice faltering.

"Thank you," Lexie spoke gently and brought her hand up, touching the necklace carefully. "Thank you for the necklace."

Mark smiled softly; it was clear to him that the woman appreciated his gift. "You're welcome," he nodded, hesitating.

Lexie bit her lip, lingering as well. "Would you like to come to my party tonight?" God she was so lame!

Mark forced his face to remain emotionless. "I'd like that."

Lexie grinned from ear to ear as he dipped into the OR. The intern finished washing her hands quickly and practically skipped into the room behind him.

"I know you have a party to get to," Mark said after they finished the abdominoplasty, "but would you check on Mrs. Williams on the third floor before you leave?"

"Yes sir, Dr. Sloan," the intern replied. "Thank you for teaching me today."

"You're welcome, Dr. Grey," Mark smiled, watching as she dried her hands. "I'll see you soon."

"See you soon," Lexie grinned a goofy grin before heading for the third floor. She felt as if she were walking on air! Maybe Mark felt something for her after all! If he didn't like her, he wouldn't have given her such an expensive gift, right? And if he thought she were completely lame, he wouldn't have agreed to come to her birthday party, right? Maybe the birthday girl would get her wish after all! Lexie giggled to herself as the elevator doors opened on the third floor. "Olivia, is everything okay?" she frowned as she approached the nurse's station.

"Yes, of course!" Olivia exclaimed, though her tone was panicked. "Jennifer goes on break, and now everyone wants everything at the same time!"

Lexie made a face; she could totally relate to that over-whelming feeling. "I'm here to check on Mrs. Williams, but is there anything I can do to help?"

The nurse sighed with relief. "Actually, Mrs. Williams is wanting a shot of Demerol. Would you mind giving it to her? It would really help me out."

"No problem," Lexie smiled, motioning to the med cart. "Do you mind if I draw it up?"

"Not at all," Olivia replied gratefully before dashing off to answer a call light.

After drawing up the pain medicine and recapping the needle, Lexie skipped towards room three oh six. "Mrs. Williams?" she asked after knocking on the door and poking her head inside the room.

"Dr. Grey, hello," the woman in her fifties greeted.

"How are you?" Lexie asked after stepping into the room and pushing the door closed behind her.

"In pain," the woman grimaced.

"I heard," the intern replied sympathetically. "Olivia is with another patient, but do you mind if I give you this shot of Demerol?"

"Not at all dear, thank you," Mrs. Williams replied and shifted onto her right hip.

"Ow!" Lexie exclaimed after uncapping the needle. She winced as a spot of blood appeared on the first finger of her right hand.

"Are you okay, Dr. Grey?" Mrs. Williams asked, glancing over her shoulder at the intern.

"Yes, I'm f..." Lexie started, but stopped as the room began to spin. She shook her hand as her finger felt like it was on fire. The intern blinked a few times, trying to clear her vision as the room blurred.

_A deep slumber will take you until your true love's kiss awakens you_

Lexie's eyes closed before she dropped to the floor.


	2. Part II

A Grey's Anatomy Fairytale : Sleeping Lexie

**PART II**

Richard Webber stepped from the intensive care room, closing the door behind him gently. "People!" he frowned towards the cluster of interns and residents. "Don't you have lives to save?!"

The interns scattered like ants, but the residents remained firm. "How is she?" April asked, taking a timid step towards her superior.

"The patient is entitled to confidentiality, Dr. Kepner," the Chief reminded her as he brought his fingers to his temple.

"Oh, come on!" Jackson exclaimed, motioning towards the room. "She's one of us! We have every right to know how she's doing!"

"Not before her parents, you don't," Chief Webber frowned at the pretty boy. "Leave, now! All of you!" He dismissed them with a wave of his hand.

Meredith hung towards the back of the group, but quietly stepped forward as the residents boarded the elevator. "Is she..." The word caught in her throat as tears filled her eyes. She couldn't make herself ask if her newly-discovered sister was dead.

Richard sighed heavily. "No," he finally spoke. "She's...sleeping."

"Sleeping?" Meredith questioned as her brows knit together. "Like...a coma?"

The Chief hesitated-Lexie's condition was a truly unique case. The intern didn't seem to be in a coma...she honestly seemed to be sleeping. But it was such a sound sleep, that he supposed she _was_ in a coma. The thing that puzzled him was that Lexie's body responded to physical stimuli...a person in a coma didn't do that. To keep things simple, the surgeon finally responded, "Yes." He cleared his throat before speaking again. "I'll keep you posted as to her condition."

"Thank you," the resident replied quietly before moving towards the stairwell.

Richard glanced over his shoulder to Lexie's room before moving to the nurse's station. "I want vitals on Lexie Grey every two hours," he directed towards the nurse who began scribbling down the orders. "If her systolic drops under one ten, notify me immediately."

"Yes sir," Melanie nodded.

"Also, draw a CBC and CMP on her every three days."

"Yes sir. Is that all, Chief?"

"For now," the older man sighed as the elevator dinged.

"Doctor?" Susan called as she and her husband hurried towards the desk. "I'm Susan, we're..."

"I know who you are," Richard smiled faintly before his eyes shifted towards Thatcher. "Thatcher."

"Richard," the man spat his name.

"What's happened?" Susan asked frantically.

The Chief hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "Tonight Lexie passed out in a patient's room. We have been unable to arouse her. She is unresponsive," he stressed as the mother gasped. "She is alive, but it seems that she has slipped into a coma. Your daughter is breathing on her own, so there is no need for ventilation."

"Oh no," Susan whispered as she grasped Thatcher's hand and squeezed it tightly.

"Her vitals are stable," Richard continued, "and we are going to monitor them every two hours. We've taken some labwork to see if there is an underlying illness that has caused this...episode."

Susan nodded before ducking her head, brushing tears from her cheeks. The spell she cast years ago had obviously saved her daughter. "Can-Can we sit with her?"

"Of course," Richard nodded and motioned towards Lexie's room. "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Grey. We're going to do everything we can to help Lexie."

"I know you will," Susan forced a small smile onto her face. All the doctors in the world couldn't save her daughter; only true love could awaken Lexie from her cursed sleep.

* * *

"Good morning, Mrs. Grey," April spoke brightly days later as she entered Lexie's room. "You're up early."

"I had a hard time sleeping last night," Susan replied as she stood and stretched.

"The hospital cots aren't very comfortable," the resident tisked as she approached the older woman. "You should really spend a night in your bed; we'll keep an eye on Lexie."

"I can't leave my girl," Susan shook her head.

April paused for a moment before nodding; she wouldn't leave her daughter either. "Here you go," she chirped and handed the cup of coffee and cherry danish to Lexie's mother.

"Thank you, dear, but you don't have to do this," the mother insisted as she accepted the breakfast. The red-haired resident visited Lexie each morning and brought Susan a cup of coffee and some sort of breakfast item.

"I don't mind at all," April smiled and patted the woman's arm before stepping over to Lexie's bed. The resident took a moment to glance at Lexie's vital sheet and observe her breathing before speaking. "Good morning, Lexie, it's me again. I just wanted to check on you. I've got to work with Dr. Sloan today. Ugh. I swear, girl, I don't know how you did it. The man is so arrogant."

Susan smiled softly as the young woman sat next to Lexie and continued to rattle on about her plans for the day. It was clear to her that Lexie had made some wonderful friends since coming to work at the hospital. Several of them made a point to stop in every day and visit the sleeping beauty. "Her color looks better today, doesn't it?" the mother asked after taking a sip of coffee.

"It does," April agreed dutifully before looking back to the intern. To be honest, the red-haired surgeon couldn't see a difference in the younger woman. "Come on, Lexie," she encouraged quietly. "Your mother misses you...you've got to pull through this." The surgeon jarred as her pager beeped. "Mrs. Grey, I'm so sorry, but I have to go."

"I understand," the mother replied with a gracious smile. "And call me Susan."

"Okay, Susan," the resident replied as she hurried towards the door. "I'll check back in later."

"I know you will," Susan called as the woman ran from the room. The mother sighed heavily before sitting next to her daughter and taking her hand between hers. "I'm so sorry for doing this to you."

"You didn't do it to her," Thatcher spoke from the doorway. "You just...had to fix what Ellis did." He sighed heavily and joined his wife at Lexie's bedside. "How is she?"

"No changes," Susan sighed heavily, reaching up and tucking a strand of Lexie's hair behind her ear. "What if she didn't meet her true love?"

Thatcher closed his eyes for a moment, the idea already having hit him the night before; what if Lexie was so career focused that she didn't make time for love? Ellis had been a driven woman, and Meredith followed in her mother's shoes. What if Lexie was as driven as the other Grey women? Would she stay like this forever? "Of course she's met him," he dismissed. "Lexie is wonderful, and any man would be lucky to have her."

Susan nodded and looked back to her daughter's sleeping form; if her daughter had found her true love...the man wasn't making himself known. "You're right," she finally spoke as her husband looked to her expectantly. Even if the mother wasn't sure that their daughter would awaken, she had to keep up hope for Thatcher. The man was in a very fragile state and couldn't handle it if Lexie was gone forever.

Hours passed with no change. More staff filed in and out of the room to check on the sleeping intern and to offer their support to the parents. Meredith came in at lunch, as she always did, and checked Lexie's vitals. Unlike April, the resident never spoke to the Greys. Perhaps she was still processing Lexie's condition...or maybe she had no desire to speak to her father and his wife.

Mark Sloan lingered at the nurse's station at four pm, sharp. Each day around four pm, Susan and Thatcher would leave Lexie's room, go to the cafeteria, then walk around the hospital to stretch their legs. Mark had timed their schedule and took the opportunity to visit Lexie when her parents were out; deep down the surgeon figured he should introduce himself to the parents, but...he couldn't make himself do it. He knew there would be multiple questions regarding his interest in the younger woman, and the attending wasn't ready to deal with all of that just yet.

Mark plucked a random chart from the rack as the door to Lexie's room opened and her mother and father left quietly. The surgeon kept his back to them and pretended to view records until they boarded the elevator. As soon as the doors closed, Mark returned the chart to the rack and ducked into Lexie's room, closing the door behind him. "Hey, Lex," he spoke gruffly, his throat dry. The attending moved to the chair next to her bed and stared at her as he propped his elbows on his knees and laced his fingers together. "I really miss you."

This was killing him; it was truly killing him.

The attractive surgeon never realized how much Lexie was part of his life, part of him, until she was gone. Yes, she was here in body, but...she was gone. The odds of her actually pulling from this coma were slim to none. No one in the hospital could find a diagnosis-her vitals were stable, her lab work was good, and none of the multiple scans reported anything like cancer. There was no explanation for her condition, and without an explanation, the hospital was at a loss for treating her. How could they take care of someone who had no visible signs of being sick?

"Open your eyes, please, just open your eyes," the man pleaded, watching as her chest rose rhythmically. Mark's eyes darted to the door as the knob turned. Bolting to his feet, he grabbed her vitals record and flipped through the pages.

"Oh, doctor," Susan breathed as she entered the room. "I didn't know anyone was coming to see her."

"I'm not, uh, I mean, I'm checking her records for Chief Webber," the surgeon lied and coughed, returning her paperwork to the file on the over-bed table. "I'm Dr. Sloan," he introduced himself and extended his hand to the older woman.

"Susan, Lexie's mother," Susan replied and took his hand. "Dr. Sloan..." she mused and quirked her head at him. "Your name sounds familiar..."

Mark cleared his throat. "Lexie was my intern," he began, glancing to the sleeping woman. "She was assigned to my services on her first day...she has a true talent for plastics." He had to remind himself to keep things light; this was Lexie's mother he was speaking to-he couldn't tell her that he'd basically manipulated her daughter into his specialty.

Susan stared at the man as he continued on about how talented Lexie was and how she was going to be a wonderful surgeon. The surgeon's words appeased her mother's heart, but Susan was more focused on his mannerisms. _This_ was the man-this was the man who would break the spell! Thank heavens she'd forgotten her wallet! Now the mother knew that her daughter would be saved! "Thank you for your kind words, Dr. Sloan."

"Is there anything we can do to make your stay more comfortable?" Mark asked as the woman moved to the cot and retrieved her purse.

"No, no, you've all been so wonderful," Susan smiled. "This is a wonderful hospital...I can see why Lexie loves it so much."

The surgeon smiled at the mother before looking back to Lexie. "Your daughter is wonderful as well...we're going to do everything we can to find out what is going on."

"I know you will, Dr. Sloan." Susan jumped as her phone dinged. "My husband," she sighed after reading the text message. "It was nice to meet you. I hope to see you again soon." The good witch left her daughter's room with a bounce in her step. Her daughter had found the love of her life! That man, Dr. Sloan, was clearly in love with Lexie. He was working hard to cover it, but the look in his eyes spoke volumes. That man's kiss would awaken her daughter.

* * *

Another week passed with Mark managing to slip into Lexie's room unnoticed each afternoon. He wasn't sure, but it seemed like Susan was leaving the room more often and for longer periods of time; the surgeon wondered if the mother suspected something...

No.

She couldn't.

Mark worked hard to keep his feelings for Lexie secret. No one could know that he was in love with an intern.

Yep, he loved her.

And by the time he realized it...it was too late. Lexie was in a coma.

"You know, this sucks," Mark said to her one day as he sat beside her bed and held her hand, rubbing his thumb across the tops of her knuckles. "This really sucks, Lex. We could have had something great." The surgeon hung his head for a moment. "I guess this is what I get for being such a dumbass, huh?" He wished the intern would open her eyes and agree with him. Mark moved to his feet quickly as he heard his best friend's voice move through the intensive care unit. He'd have a lot of explaining to do if Derek caught him there. "I'll visit again soon," the surgeon promised the sleeping woman before slipping out of her room.

"Mark?" Derek questioned as he noticed movement from Lexie's room. "Is she awake?"

"No," Mark shook his head and pulled the door closed.

"Damn," the neurosurgeon shook his head sadly. His brow furrowed as he studied his friend. "Why are you here? You're not her surgeon..."

"I was her attending," Mark snapped, instantly regretting the words. He'd over-played his hand already.

"Oh, _really_?" Derek smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. "I thought you hated interns."

"I do."

"So what makes Lexie so special?"

Mark pursed his lips, then shrugged nonchalantly. "She actually had talent."

"I'm sure she did," the neurosurgeon replied smugly. "Come on, we're going to Joe's."

"I don't feel like going to Joe's," Mark grumbled as he started towards the elevator.

"Oh, we're going," Derek stated matter-of-factly, "unless you'd like to discuss your feelings for Lexie right here?"

"Knock it off," Mark growled and shoved Derek into the elevator after the doors opened.

"I knew it," the neurosurgeon chuckled. "I swear, Mark, I can read you like a book."

"Yeah, yeah," the plastic surgeon rolled his eyes before pushing the button for the ground floor.

"Don't even think of crapping out on me," Derek warned as they left the elevator and entered the attendings lounge.

"I won't," Mark replied before pulling off his lab coat and heading for the showers. Talking to his best friend might actually help him. Maybe, just maybe, he wasn't in love with Lexie. Maybe he just felt guilty because of her current condition-wouldn't that be great?

Derek kept quiet as he and his best friend left the hospital behind and went across the street to Joe's. He knew Mark better than anyone, and the neurosurgeon knew that he'd already poked at the man enough. His best friend would't tell him anything at this point, so Derek kept the conversation light and ordered round after round of scotch. "Wanna talk about it?" the neurosurgeon finally asked a couple of hours after sitting down.

Mark finished off the glass and motioned for another one before speaking. "Everything started off innocent...professional. I don't do interns anymore, you know?"

"I know," Derek nodded, hiding a smirk. He still knew his friend well enough to know that alcohol was the key to Mark opening up.

Mark swirled the fresh glass Joe handed him, watching as the liquid washed around the ice. "From the first day...Lexie and I, we just...we clicked, you know? It was like...like...perfection.. We just clicked, you know?"

"I know," the neurosurgeon chuckled, nodding his head. "Meredith and I were like that."

"Yeah, but you were sleeping together," Mark interrupted. "Lexie and I never had sex." He stared at the glass for a second before taking another sip. "I actually never saw her that way..."

"So what way _did_ you see her?" Derek prodded, turning on the stool and looking over the bar as if he were hardly paying his best friend any attention. In reality, the surgeon was hanging on every word. Mark had always been a womanizer and rarely loved anyone; Derek was curious as to what was so special about the younger Grey woman.

"She was different," the plastic surgeon rambled on, staring into his glass. "It was like...she deserved more. I wanted to be better for her because...she deserves it." The attending finished off the glass in one large gulp before continuing. "I don't even know when it happened, Derek...I don't even know. One day I was fine, and then..." The man shook his head and motioned for another scotch. "I'm Mark freaking Sloan, did you know that?"

"I know that," Derek nodded patiently.

"I'm Mark freaking Sloan," Mark repeated, "and she's...what, an intern? She's only an intern! She should be amazed by me..but...I was amazed by her." His hand wrapped around the glass that Joe set in front of him. "One minute I was fine, and then...then I was looking forward to work because I knew I'd see her." The surgeon shook his head and ran his hand through his hair. "I was looking forward to seeing her, but then...that wasn't enough. I wanted to do things for her..." He made a sound in the back of his throat. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

Derek looked to his friend as the man quieted. "It sounds like you love her."

"Love," Mark mused, glancing to his friend before staring at the display of liquor bottles. Love...it had been a long time since he'd loved anyone. Maybe he'd forgotten what it felt like to love someone. The surgeon pondered the idea as he slowly sipped the scotch rather than downing it as he had the other glasses. His mind flitted back to a few weeks earlier when he entered the jewelry store to purchase the necklace for Lexie; Mark had looked forward to buying the necklace for the intern. A small voice was telling him that he was crossing a line, but it didn't stop him. He _wanted_ to give her something nice. The fates were obviously in alignment with his decision because her birthday was right around the corner. It wasn't too terrible to give someone a birthday gift, right?

Mark emptied the glass and pushed it across the bar. "I'm done," he waved Joe away before the bartender hit him again. He ran his hand through his hair again as he moved to his feet.

"You gonna be alright?" Derek asked, studying his friend.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Mark shrugged and pulled his wallet from his back pocket. He had to be fine...there was nothing else he could do. He'd had every chance in the world, but he'd let her slip through his fingers. And now, there was no going back. He'd lost his chance to be with Lexie.

* * *

Another week moved agonizingly slow for all of those who cared for Lexie. The dark-haired woman remained in her peaceful slumber with no sign of awakening. Her vitals remained stable and her blood work continued to show no sign of infection. The intern was healthy as a horse...unfortunately she was a sleeping horse.

The doctors were at a loss of ideas-no one could think of a way to help her. Chief Webber spent countless hours in conference calls with the best minds in the country, but no one knew how to help the intern.

Slowly, one by one, the staff stopped coming to visit. Jackson stopped visiting first, then Meredith, and finally April even gave up. The one person who remained faithful to Lexie was Mark Sloan; he visited her each and every day, even on his days off. Sometimes he'd even visit her twice a day. It was becoming apparent to everyone that something was going on; the plastic surgeon clearly had feelings for the intern.

Susan Grey wasn't an idiot; she was certain that Dr. Sloan was in love with her daughter-why else would he visit her each and every day? It was clear to her that he was Lexie's only chance at awakening and living a normal life. Unfortunately, the doctor had yet to kiss the sleeping woman, so the mother would have to take matters into her own hands.

Susan sent Thatcher home to feed and walk the dogs, but chose to walk him to the car. As the doors to the elevator closed, the mother caught a glimpse of dark blue scrubs leaving the stairwell and entering the ICU. The man thought that he was clever, but unfortunately for him, she was a step ahead of him. As soon as the elevator doors opened, Susan feigned a headache and informed her husband that she was going to lie down. The woman hurried back to the intensive care unit, slipping into Lexie's room and closing the door before the surgeon had a chance to move. "We need to talk."

Mark's eyes narrowed as he watched Lexie's mother lean against the closed door, clearly blocking his exit. "I am not your daughter's doctor, Mrs. Grey, so I can offer you little information."

Susan smiled softly at the younger man. "I'm not here to talk to you about my daughter's condition, Dr. Sloan. I know more about her condition than you do."

The plastic slowly released Lexie's hand and pushed himself to his feet. He inhaled deeply and released his breath slowly, forming his words carefully. Mark sensed that this day was coming-the day where the mother refused to face reality. It was clear to everyone that Lexie wasn't coming back. "Mrs. Grey..."

"Listen to me, please," Susan interrupted. "Just listen...do not interrupt me, and do not argue with me. Just listen...please."

Mark closed his eyes and brought his fingers to the bridge of his nose, applying a slight pressure. Maybe it was because it was Lexie...or maybe it was the respect he had for mothers, but something inside of him made him nod and sit down quietly. Susan Grey was a quiet, loving mother, and Mark didn't have it in him to disrespect her. "I'm listening."

Susan's hands trembled slightly as she began to pace the small hospital room, words tumbling from her lips as she explained everything to the surgeon. She gave him the history of Thatcher and Ellis Grey, the jealousy of the ex wife, and the curse that was placed on Lexie on her first birthday. The mother moved to her daughter's side, taking the woman's hand between hers as she confessed to her part of the curse. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she explained how she altered the curse so that Lexie at least had a chance at life.

Mark sat back stunned, gaping at the woman as she leaned down and placed a kiss to her daughter's forehead. A tiny, tiny part of him wanted desperately to believe the mother, but it was clear that she was grieving the loss of her daughter. The poor, hurting mother was obviously coping with her Lexie's condition by believing that she was simply in a state of sleep. "Mrs. Grey," he began carefully.

"Don't!" Susan cut him off, her voice rising slightly. "D-Don't do that to me, okay? Don't give me that condescending tone like I'm crazy or something!"

"I don't think you're crazy," Mark replied gently. "I think you're grieving. Grief does different things to different people...and clearly it's manifested itself..."

"Would you like for me to prove it to you?"

"What?" the surgeon asked, his brows furrowing.

"Do you want me to prove it?" Susan asked, her irritation evident. She lived in a society that believed in vampires and was preparing for a zombie apocalypse, but the man before her couldn't expand his mind a mere two centimeters to entertain the idea of magic?

Mark jarred; it was clear that he wasn't going to get through to the grieving mother. "You don't have to prove," he began, but the words caught in his throat as his feet left the ground. "What the..." he gasped, looking around frantically as his body moved at least three feet off the tiled floor. In the midst of his panic, the doctor noticed that Susan remained firmly planted to the ground, but had her hand raised. "You're doing this?!"

"Yes," the mother replied simply, moving her hand to the left, Mark's body floating across the room. "I'm not grieving, Dr. Sloan. I am telling you the truth."

Mark flailed in the air, desperately reaching for the ground, but failing miserably. "Alright, alright! I believe you." In a matter of seconds the woman lowered him to the ground. The surgeon dropped into the chair and grasped the legs as if they would keep him from flying again.

"Dr. Sloan, I'm very sorry," Susan apologized quietly after the man's ragged breathing returned to normal.

The doctor turned murderous eyes to her. "You could have lifted the chair," he frowned.

"I doubt that would have been half as convincing."

Mark let out a dry laugh before his eyes turned to Lexie and his face straightened. If the woman was telling the truth and not yanking his leg...then _if_ he was Lexie's true love, he could awaken her with one kiss. But if he wasn't...

"Where are you going?" Susan asked as the man stood quickly. She sighed heavily when he fled the room without another glance in Lexie's direction. Maybe showing him was the wrong way to go about proving her point. Perhaps she _should_ have lifted the chair instead.

Oh well, what's done is done. There's no changing the past.

Susan's hands shook as she began packing up her things. If Mark was the man for Lexie, he wouldn't return to the room as long as she was there. The mother had probably scared the life out of the man. If there was any hope of Dr. Sloan kissing the sleeping woman, then Susan had to leave. "I'm sorry, dear," she whispered to her daughter and placed a kiss to Lexie's forehead before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I hope to see you soon."

Two more days passed without a change in Lexie's condition. The month mark was drawing closer and closer with each passing day, and talk was beginning to stir in the hospital. No one had any hope for Lexie; no one expected her to wake up. Despite her strong vitals and immaculate blood work, no one thought she'd come out of the coma. Not the Chief, not Meredith, and not even April. They'd all given up on her.

Except Mark. Mark was the only person who entered her room each day hoping to see her sitting up awake...and each day she remained in bed.

"Maybe we could send her to a long term care facility," Jackson suggested at lunch one day.

"Jackson!" April exclaimed and hit his arm. "She's not some old, senile woman."

"Long term care doesn't mean nursing home," the pretty boy pointed out. "There's nothing we can do for her here. At least in a long term care facility she could get therapy, have constant care, and probably even get a feeding tube."

"Oh God," Meredith groaned and covered her face with her hands. "I don't want my sister to have a feeding tube."

"We can't keep her on the TPN," Jackson argued. "It's clear that she's not coming back."

"How can you be so..so _clinical_ about this?!" April exclaimed, clearly appalled. "Lexie is one of us! We can't just throw her aside."

"We already have," Alex piped up when Jackson quieted. "We don't even visit her anymore. Hell, even her own mother left. The girl is circling the drain. It's time to let her go."

The residents' conversation lit a fire in Mark. Before he realized it, he was on his feet and stalking towards their table. "The last time I checked," he growled, "none of you are Dr. Grey's physician. Leave the decisions up to the _real_ doctors. You're all still pretending." He glared at them individually before turning and leaving them in a stunned silence. His steps thundered in his ears as he took the stairs, hoping to burn off some steam before visiting Lexie; he didn't want to bring any bad vibes into the precious woman's room.

Today was the day.

Mark had spent time digesting the information Susan had given him days before. He still wasn't sure if he believed it, despite her demonstration, but it was worth a shot. The worst thing that could happen was that it didn't work, and Lexie would remain in her slumber. Basically, nothing would change. But, if the mother was right...Lexie would wake up. She'd be _alive_ again. He'd have her back. Mark's heart picked up rhythm as he threw open the door to the unit. Everyone was at lunch except for Olivia; she sat at the nurses's station with her feet propped on the desk while she pecked away at her phone. "Olivia," he greeted her as he joined her at the desk.

"D-Dr. Sl-Sloan," Olivia stuttered, dropping her feet from the desk quickly. "I was just..."

"You're fine," he dismissed with a shake of his head. "I'm here to draw labs on Lexie Grey again."

Olivia nodded, almost as if she'd expected him. "Chief mentioned this morning that he'd need a final set to send to the agency."

"Agency?" Mark frowned. "What agency?"

"Home health, sir," the red-haired nurse replied. "Lexie is being discharged tomorrow."

Mark felt his heart stop; it actually stopped for a couple of beats. "D-Discharged?"

"Yeah, her parents know we can't do anything else for her," Olivia shrugged. "They might even put her on hospice soon."

"She's not dying," the surgeon frowned.

"She's not living either," the nurse replied sadly and looked towards Lexie's room. "Poor thing. She had her whole career ahead of her."

The doctor took a deep, calming breath as he turned to the supply closet and gathered the butterflies, tubing, and vials. "Olivia, a few board members are in the hospital," he lied as he started towards the room, "so I'm going to close the blinds. Patient privacy, you know?"

"Right," Olivia nodded. "They tagged us for that last year."

"Yes," Mark replied before stepping into the room and closing the door and blinds. He promptly dumped the supplies onto a table and paced the small room, gulping in air. Home? She couldn't go home! He'd never see her again! Any reservations he had flew from his body as he sat beside her and took her in. Lexie was beautiful; she was like that natural beauty that had no idea how truly beautiful she was. The dark-haired angel was beautiful inside and out. She had a wonderful personality, a kind heart, and a great sense of humor. Lexie was the total package. "Holy crap," Mark muttered as it hit him. "I love you," he whispered as he stood over her, leaning towards her sleeping form and wetting his lips. "I love you, Lexie." He nearly choked on her name before pressing his lips to hers. The surgeon kissed her gently, sweetly; the way a man kissed a woman he loved, not how a man kissed a woman he wanted to bed. Mark's hand cupped her cheek as he lingered his lips on hers, then pulled away gently.

A small gasp left the sleeping intern before her eyes fluttered open. Lexie groaned softly, wincing at the fluorescent lightly. "D-Dr. Sloan?" she whispered after blinking several times, her vision finally clearing.

The surgeon stood dumfounded for a moment before his instincts finally kicked in. "Water," he mumured, noting the hoarseness to her tone. "Here." He thrust the cup in her direction, watching as Lexie pushed herself into a sitting position.

"Thanks," the young woman replied gratefully and took the cup, gulping down the water. She set the cup on the bedside table, looking around and finally noticing her surroundings. "Where am I?"

Mark continued to gape at her. Lexie was fine. Fine! Her body moved freely, her memory was fine, and her coordination was perfect. It was like she had just woken up from a nap rather than several weeks of sleep! "How are you feeling?" he asked quietly, ignoring her question and easing onto the bed.

"A little sore," Lexie admitted and rotated her shoulder. "Is this a hospital room? What happened?"

Mark opened his mouth to speak, but Olivia rushed into the room. "Dr. Sloan?" the nurse panicked. "Lexie's monitors are going nuts out there! Is everything..." The nurse's eyes finally shifted to the once sleeping young woman. "Dr. Grey?" she gasped, her eyes widening.

"Yes?"

"You're awake!"

Lexie turned questioning eyes to Mark. "Dr. Sloan, what's going on here? I'm so confused!"

"I have to call your parents!" Olivia exclaimed and scurried from the room.

"Call me Mark," the surgeon said quietly as the intern turned her gaze back to him.

"Am I dead?!" Lexie blurted out. "Is this heaven?"

Mark chuckled quietly and shook his head. "No, you're not dead."

"Then what's going on, Mark?" the intern asked, throwing her hands up.

The attending hesitated, wondering how much he should tell her. He wasn't sure if the young woman would be comfortable knowing that kissed her while she was unaware. "You passed out in a patient's room," he explained. "We couldn't arouse you, so we brought you here to check your vitals and draw some blood work."

"Oh," Lexie nodded, processing the information. "Is Meredith mad that I missed the party?"

It took Mark a moment to remember that Lexie thought it had been mere hours, not weeks, since she passed out. "No, she was very worried about you."

Lexie nodded, bringing her fingers to her lips as she felt a warmth to them. "Were you here before?"

"No," the surgeon replied quickly.

"Hmmm," the intern mused, running her tongue over her lips. "I must have been dreaming then."

"How are you feeling?" Mark changed subjects.

"Sluggish," Lexie confessed as she threw the sheet back and wiggled to the edge of the bed.

"Here, let me help you." Mark's arm wrapped arounder her waist protectively as he helped her from the bed. "Any better?"

"Y-Yeah," Lexie stuttered, gazing up into his blue eyes. "Are you sure you weren't here before?"

"Positive," the surgeon lied to her again. Twice in less than five minutes; that had to be a new record for him.

Mark wasn't sure exactly how to move on from this point. His whole belief system, his whole world in fact, had just been turned upside down. Medicine, science...it had no power over love and magic. Lexie had truly been cursed when she was a baby, but the powers of her mother turned that curse into a love spell. The intern had fallen into a deep sleep, only to be awakened by her true love. By him; he was her true love. Mark Sloan had fallen in love with Lexie Grey, and they were clearly meant to be. They were soul mates.

The idea terrified him. He didn't deserve someone like Lexie. Mark changed women like most people changed socks. Love 'em, leave 'em, and keep walking. Never get attached. Enjoy a few rounds of pleasure and walk away before the heart gets involved. Never let a woman close, because then she has the power. The power to destroy you. Mark refused to be destroyed, but already...already Lexie had the power, and she didn't even know it.

_Walk away_ his mind yelled at him. _You're too bad for her! You'll only ruin her! _His mind had more sense than his heart; his heart wanted to take her, but his mind knew that he would be her downfall. The womanizer was too bad for the innocent woman.

Luckily the room filled with hospital staff. Nurses, residents, attendings, and even Chief Webber, flooded the room, each one of them bombarding Lexie with questions. Mark was scooted to the back of the room as they checked vitals, motor skills, and coordination. The surgeon took the chance to leave the room before he was suspected of having anything to do with Lexie's awakening.

"Dr. Sloan?" Susan questioned as the elevator doors opened. "She's awake?"

"Yes," Mark nodded as he ducked into the elevator and pressed the button to the ground floor quickly. "She's waiting for you."

After Lexie was cleared by all departments and the staff agreed that no permanent damage was done, the intern was discharged with one week of leave to recover from what she'd endured.

"You acted like it was a few days," the intern approached her mentor the morning she returned to work. "I was asleep for three weeks."

Mark turned his gaze from the OR board and took her in; she was breath-taking as always. He'd have never guessed she'd been in a slumber for three weeks. Her eyes sparkled, her cheeks had color, and her lips had a tempting moisture to them. "I didn't want to scare you, Dr. Grey." His eyes dropped to the necklace he'd given her for her birthday. "Who told you the truth?"

"My mom," Lexie replied with a roll of her eyes. "She's watched me like a hawk this past week. I guess she thinks I'm going to pass out again."

"Is that all she told you?" Mark asked as his eyes moved back to the OR board.

"Yeah," the young woman shrugged as she stuffed her hands into her labcoat pockets. "Oh, and Dr. Avery wanted to ship me off to a nursing home. I'm not speaking to him anymore."

"I don't blame you," the attending chuckled and looked over to her, leaning close to her ear. "I was worried about you."

Lexie shivered as his breath tickled her ear and her body instinctively moved towards him. Her tongue flicked over her lips before she spoke. "Did you miss me, or my photographic memory?"

Mark's gaze held hers. "You."

The intern actually felt her knees go weak. "I'm fine, I'm fine," she stuttered as his arms shot out to steady her. "Just, phew, uh, light headed."

"Can you do this?" the plastic surgeon asked, concern lacing his tone.

"Yes," Lexie breathed in response. "I'm ready."

Mark and Lexie slipped back into their work routine as if nothing had changed. Except...something had. There was a different chemistry to the pair now. The two exchanged heavy, lustful looks, had brushes of physical contact, and several occasions of almost-kisses. Lexie wasn't sure what had changed between them, but she wished that Mark would make a move and ask her out. Kiss her, haul her into the on-call room, _something_!

But he never did. It seemed like he wanted to, but something always stopped him.

It was disheartening. Lexie's feelings for the surgeon were growing with each passing day, but it seemed that he was pulling further and further away from her. She didn't know what she'd done, but she wished she could go back in time and change it!

"Not today, Mom," the discouraged intern sighed as she entered her apartment a few weeks later and spotted her mother sitting on her couch. Susan was always doing things like that-randomly cleaning Lexie's place or cooking her meals for a week. "Thank you for whatever you've done, but I'm just not in the mood to talk."

Susan pursed her lips and folded her hands in her lap as her daughter hung her purse over the couch and pulled off her jacket. "Sit down, Alexandra. We have to talk."

Lexie stilled at the use of her full name. "What is it?" she gasped as she dropped onto the couch opposite her mother. "Is it Dad? Oh God, is Molly okay?!" Her hand flew to her mouth as tears filled her eyes.

"They're fine," Susan assured her and rubbed her daughter's thigh briefly. "I see that he's not going to do it, so I'm going to tell you what really happened when you were in the hospital."

Lexie sat back in bewilderment as her mother unraveled a tale of magic, witches, curses, and true love. Apparently, if Lexie was following her mother correctly, Ellis Grey possessed the powers of darkness and had cursed her to death, out of jealousy, when she was a baby. Susan possessed the powers of light and altered the curse, changing it so that Lexie simply fell asleep. The only way she could wake up was by a kiss of true love. Someone in that hospital had kissed her...that's the only way she was walking and talking today! And Lexie suspected that she knew who the culprit was.

Susan watched as the realization and emotions waved through her daughter. "Where are you going?" she asked as the young woman jumped to her feet.

Lexie gathered her coat, stuffing her arms into the sleeves before snatching up her purse from where she'd draped it earlier. "He never told me!" she exclaimed, yanking her purse onto her shoulder and storming towards the front door. "So I'm going to tell him!"

"Atta girl," Susan smiled as the door slammed shut.

Lexie's body trembled as she sped through the streets of Seattle towards the hospital. How could he not tell her the truth?! Her feelings weren't all one-sided as she had believed this whole time! Mark cared for her just as much as she cared for him! A kiss from a crush wouldn't wake her; it _had_ to be true love! Which meant...Mark loved her. The thought made the intern smile as she pulled into a parking slot, jumped from the car, and ran into the hospital.

"Where's the fire?" Jackson chuckled as Lexie banged into him and April as they were leaving the lobby.

Lexie's eyes narrowed at him before she turned her gaze to April. "Where's Mark, er, Dr. Sloan? Is he still here?"

"Yeah, third floor," April replied as the intern took off towards the elevator.

"You're seriously still not talking to me?" Jackson asked as the young woman waited for the elevator.

"Bite me!" Lexie snapped before boarding the elevator and punching the button for the third floor repeatedly. "Come on, come on," she urged as the elevator moved at a turtle's pace. As soon as the doors _finally_ opened, the intern burst onto the third floor, instantly spotting the gorgeous surgeon seated at the nurse's station. "You kissed me!" she blurted out after approaching the desk.

Mark's eyes darted to the young woman who was standing before him completely flustered. It was obvious that someone, probably Susan, had informed her of the truth of her situation. "Let's speak in private, Dr. Grey," he said professionally and stood, taking her elbow and leading her towards the on-call room as the nurses grouped together and began whispering.

"Don't Dr. Grey me!" Lexie exclaimed as her mentor lead her towards the room. "I think we're beyond that point, don't you?"

"Lexie," Mark spoke her name earnestly as he opened the door to the on-call room and lead her inside.

"Why didn't you tell me?!" the intern demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.

The surgeon hesitated; even now, he wasn't sure if her reaction was out of anger, or if it was because she felt something for him in return. "Would it have mattered?"

"Of course it matters!" Lexie threw her hands up. "I've spent so much time thinking that my feelings were just _my_ feelings! I thought someone like you would never like someone like me! And then...then...you kiss me, and...and..." She sighed heavily, running her hand through her hair. "I wasn't even awake to feel it," she finished quietly.

Mark's eyes closed for a moment before he closed the distance between them, his hand fitting at the base of her skull perfectly as his lips pressed to hers. This time, Lexie responded to his kiss, returning the passion he had felt stirring in him for months. "I love you," he murmured between kisses.

Lexie felt her heart flutter at his words. "I love you too," she whispered back, holding him close.

Life was truly ironic at times-what was intended as a curse had actually come to be the best thing in her life. An act of jelousy ultimately lead to Lexie finding the love of her life. And as the saying goes...

They both lived happily ever after.


End file.
